Millions of people are suffering with one or another form of arthritis. One such form from the 100 or more types of arthritis known is ankylosing (rigid) spondylitis (spinal inflammation). It mostly affects young people with the average age been just 26.

Symptoms for ankylosing spondylitis most commonly begin between the ages of 15 and 35 and it is very difficult condition to diagnose as progress of the disorder is very slow the first few years. One in every 200 people is inflicted with the condition. Twice as many men than women are diagnosed with the condition and they will experience more severe symptoms.

Back pain and stiffness, pain around tendon areas, eye inflammation (irititis, uveitis) and skin rashes are common symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis. The condition can also affect the heart and lungs, fuse vertebrae in the spine together, trouble the sacroiliac, hip and shoulder joints. Other symptoms are fatigue as a result of inflammation and gastrointestinal problems.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a long lasting health condition (chronic). Pain can persist for more than three months when the condition is worsened. It is frequently accompanied by symptoms of stiffness that are more pronounced at the beginning and the end of a day.

The cause of ankylosing spondylitis is not yet known. Most people with the condition carry a gene called the HLA-B27 gene but, no every one carrying it will develop ankylosing spondylitis.

Your specialist physician (rheumatologist) will begin with a physical examination and look for spinal mobility, sites of inflammation, pain and tenderness in the back, chest, sacrum and heels. He will also ask and take into account your family history of ankylosing spondylitis, He will ask your history of eye inflammations and of gastrointestinal conditions.

Most likely he will next order X-rays and/or MRI for the sacroiliac joint to check for any events of erosion typical of sacroiliatis (inflammation of the joint). Other tests he may order are blood tests such as * ESR (erythrocyte sed rate) - as an indicator of inflammation. * Rheumatoid factor - to eliminate the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis and * Antinuclear antibodies - to eliminate the possibility of lupus.

A common treatment program includes medication - disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, physical therapy and exercise - properly trained physical therapists can creating an exercise program suitable for ankylosing spondylitis sufferers, heat and cold packs - to help relax the muscles and in severe circumstances surgery - to replace deformed joints in the neck, hip and knees. Exercise in combination with medication, is usually effective treatment for the management of ankylosing spontylitis.

A number of nontraditional treatments for arthritis are also used by many people that want relief for pain and the other symptoms of arthritis that traditional medications has failed to provided for them. They also hope to avoid side effects associated with long-term medications and certain medical and/or surgical treatments cost too much for many of us to afford. Some evidence does support the use of alternative medication and some patients have benefited from such treatments. Most commonly massage, yoga and chiropractic treatments have been found by many people beneficial in ankylosing spondylitis.